Employee leaving the job is termed as employee attrition from company perspective. Before getting into the reasons for Employee Attrition, let’s understand what does attrition mean?

What does attrition mean?

Attrition in a company refers to the continuing loss of work-forces over time, reduction of employees can be due to resignations, superannuation, illness, or demise. Overall fairly high attrition is challenging for companies. If your company has high attrition rate, you will be required to constantly publicize, interview and hire new employees to replace the left employees. HR professionals generally assume a leadership role in planning company compensation programs, work culture and motivation systems, they calculate the attrition rate month on month that help the organization retain top employees to reduce the attrition rate. Hope now you have understood on what does attrition mean, now let us understand the top 10 reasons why good employees leave the company. The reasons are categorized based on age group because the priorities and requirements of the employees varies based on their stage of life.

To effectively reduce the attrition rate in the company, it is very important to know the reason behind the attrition.

Reasons why good employees leave – Younger Age (18-35)

• Compensation and benefit

Fresh out of the college most of them usually just want a job to start with. But once they gain experience the start looking out for jobs with higher pay and benefits. If this is the reason behind majority leaving the company, then do review the salary and compensation structure of your company.

• Onsite opportunity

Youngsters are quite enthusiastic about exploring. They want to work at onsite locations mainly to get a glimpse of the lifestyle outside their own country and for better standards of life. Revaluate the onsite opportunities provided by your company.

• Career growth

Discontented employees are generated when they feel they are not well appreciated for their work. Giving a promotion and new responsibilities is a good way for doing the same. Providing opportunities for enhancing the skill set keeps the employees happy. Ensure the company boosts employee’s confidence and morale by giving such opportunities and responsibilities.

• Dream job offer

Working in a well branded company is a matter of pride for all. The gleam in other’s eyes when one says his company name fills them with delight and dignity. If yours is a small company or start-up this might be one of the reasons for attrition

• Back to school

Youngster’s usually want a job soon after they complete their graduation. But after working for a while they realize that higher education means better positions in company and hence better pay. So they go back to college to pursue their dream.

• Relocation

Women after their marriage or employees when face a personal crisis leave the company siting this reason. If the company has branches at the desired location, ensure that you try out all possibilities of relocating the employee to that location. This creates a good will in the mind of the employee towards the company.

• Marriage/children

This is again in case of female employees who want to take a break after their wedding/or childbirth to adapt to new responsibilities and environments. Giving a sabbatical leave option is a good way to ensure that they join back the company after the break.

• Change in career path

After a while in a particular stream of job many do realize that they want to change their career path. This is a very common scenario and providing job in their new field of interest is a way to retain such employees.

• Not enough work or challenge

Youngsters especially are very keen and enthusiastic about learning and trying out different things. When they feel the current company doesn’t provide them enough opportunities to satisfy their urge to learn or explore they tend to leave.

• Difficult work environment

This usually arise with lousy managers and issues within team. Also in case of few employees who have a hobby and want opportunities to pursue them along with job, leave the job due to this reason.

The Employers can further analyse good reasons for leaving a job from employee perspective and take necessary action to improve the employee attrition rate.

To understand why good employees leave at the middle age and older age, please go through the links below

Top 10 reasons why good employees leave – Middle ages

Top 10 reasons why good employees leave – Baby Boomers